BA - Screen and Media Studies as a major
Second Major, Supporting, Major
If you’re fascinated by the history and creative activities of humankind and how this shapes societies and our future, then a Bachelor of Arts (BA) is for you. Our graduates are in demand for their flexible skills, practical outlook and depth of understanding they bring to their roles.
Screen and Media Studies at Waikato makes sure you keep pace with new tools and platforms for the rapidly evolving media industry. You'll get high-quality learning experiences with up-to-date resources in our top 250 QS-rated programme.
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Education and Society
- English
- Environmental Planning
- Geography
- History
- Human Development
- International Languages and Cultures
- Law
- Linguistics
- Music
- Māori and Indigenous Studies
- Māori Language/Te Reo Māori
- Pacific and Indigenous Studies
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Population Studies
- Psychology
- Social Policy
- Sociology
- Theatre Studies
- Writing Studies
Apply to enrol
Key information
| Years: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Points: | 360 |
| Start Dates: | Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July) |
| Estimated Fees* (Domestic): | $6,591 - $7,608 per year |
| Estimated Fees* (International): | $28,025 - $35,420 per year |
| Entry Requirements: | Undergraduate International |
| Area of Study: | |
| *Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. | |
Career opportunities
- Arts Administrator
- Audio Visual Production
- Creative Business Owner
- Cultural Policy Analyst
- Freelancer
- Journalist
- Producer
- Public Relations Practitioner
- Script Writer
Degree Planner
Degree planner — BA in Screen and Media Studies
It is recommended that students wishing to go into film production and studio production take MEDIA102 in Year 1. Students are also recommended to select ARTSC105 - Language in Context from list A.
Year 1
One from List A
Field of the
Degree 100 level
Field of the
Degree 100 level
Elective
Elective
Year 2
Any 200 level
paper listed for SMSTS
One from List B
Field of the
Degree 200 level
Elective
Elective
Elective
Year 3
Any MEDIA 300
level paper
Any MEDIA 300
level paper
Any MEDIA 300
level paper
Any MEDIA 300
level paper
One from List C
Elective
Elective
Elective
- Major
- Compulsory
- Elective
BA Papers
Lists A, B and C
List A: Academic Foundations
- ARTSC103 Rights and Reasons
- ARTSC105 Language in Context
- ENSLA103 Undergraduate Research Writing for ESL Students
- ENSLA202 Oral Skills for Academic English
List B: Cultural Perspectives
Any Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies paper, or- ANTHY101 Exploring Cultures: Introduction to Anthropology
- ANTHY102 Exploring Cultures: Aotearoa and the Pacific
- ANTHY201 Patriots, Racists, and Foreigners: Ethnicity and Identity in Global Perspective
- DSIGN252 Cultural Perspectives for Design
- EDUCA200 Te Hononga Tangata
- ENGLI200 Global Fictions
- GEOGY219 Māori Lands and Communities
- INTLC101 International Languages and Cultures
- INTLC221 Understanding East Asia
- INTLC222 Food Practices & Cultural Journeys
- LINGS203 Language, Society and Culture
- Any MAORI paper
- Any PACIS paper
List C: Work-Integrated Learning
- ALPSS301 Work-integrated learning - Placements
- ARTSW300 Arts and Cultural Festivals
- ARTSW301 Professional Practice in the Arts (prerequisites ARTSC110 - so open to all BA students)
- ARTSW302 Work-Related Project in the Arts (prerequisites ARTSC110 - so open to all BA students)
- LINGS301 Research Apprenticeship
- MEDIA307 Professional Studio Production
- POPST300 Population Studies Work-Related Project
- PSYCH301 Psychology Research Assistantship
- SOCSC301 Work-Integrated Learning - Work-Related Project
- WRITE396 Writing Studies Work Placement
*Please consult our Student Advisors for the correct work-integrated learning paper.
Subject to approval
Papers
Papers available within Screen and Media Studies
Screen based media (film, tv, animation, digital games, ICTs) form an essential and necessary part of life in the 21st century - they inform, represent, thrill, shock, disgust, shape our thinking, direct our work patterns and practices, and broaden our social and communication experiences. A BA or BSocSc degree, majoring in Screen and Media Studies, or a BDes, majoring in Media Design, provides students with valuable creative and critical skills, and transferrable body of knowledge necessary to achieve success in media-dependant occupations. Studying Screen and Media provides a multi-disciplinary education (film & cultural studies, philosophy, psychology, communication studies, sociology, political-economy and more) that equips students with the ability to think critically, apply theory and research to understand how different aspects of culture and society function, and professional skills in writing and production applicable to film, television, documentary, animation, sound and interactive media. Screen and Media Studies lecturers possess expertise in a diverse range of theoretical and research approaches, creative practices and medium-specific knowledge. During degree study students are encouraged to take advantage of a broad range of opportunities to apply their newfound knowledge and skills in telling their own stories and exploring their individual passions and interests. Screen and Media provides a supportive creative environment and research-empowering learning context for students to better understand human-media interactions.
Screen and Media Studies is available as a first major for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc). Screen and Media Studies may also be taken as a second major or minor, subject to approval of the Division in which the student is enrolled.
To complete Screen and Media Studies as a single major in the BA or the BSocSc, students must gain 135 points in papers listed for Screen and Media Studies, including 105 points above 100 level, and 60 points above 200 level. Students must complete MEDIA100, either MEDIA200 or MEDIA207, and MEDIA201.
To complete Screen and Media Studies as part of a double major for the BA, BSocSc or other undergraduate degree, students must gain 120 points in papers listed for Screen and Media Studies, including 90 points above 100 level, and 45 points above 200 level. Students must complete MEDIA100, either MEDIA200 or MEDIA207, and MEDIA201.
To complete a minor in Screen and Media Studies, students must complete 60 points from the papers listed for the Screen and Media Studies major, including at least 30 points above 100 level.
Note: MEDIA102 is the prerequisite for MEDIA202, and MEDIA202 is the prerequisite for MEDIA302.
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA100 | Understanding Visual Culture | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Our lives are dominated by still and moving images and visual technologies. This paper will constitute an important first step in learning to understand how images variously work to convey ideas, their impact and influence on our behaviour, thinking and culture. It draws on a broad theoretical platform from aesthetics, art history,... | |||
| MEDIA101 | Media, Culture and Society | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Do you ever pause to reflect on the media content that you engage with on a daily basis? Your product choices (e.g. smartphones), or practices (e.g. Googling)? Or how particular media structures are shaping our lives? In this paper students learn to understand the importance of developing a critical perspective on who owns and cont... | |||
| MEDIA102 | Film Production 1: Telling Stories | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| A hands-on practice paper in which students learn to apply film production theory to communicate ideas and tell stories. Students gain experience capturing, constructing and manipulating both audio and moving image in the process of designing, shooting and editing digital short films. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA201 | Conducting Media Research | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| How do we convert our questions into knowledge? This paper explores research as a process of inquiry that can lead to different results. Media researchers employ a wide range of research techniques in order to understand individual and societal experience with all forms of media, as well as examining the roles of media creators. In... | |||
| MEDIA202 | Film Production 2: Experimentation and Creativity | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Students are challenged to extend their creative practice beyond the conventions of narrative film making. Working with moving image and sound, students work in teams to experiment with the affordances of the medium and extend their own creative thinking and strategies. | |||
| MEDIA203 | Digital Arts and Cultures | 15.0 | 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| The 21st century has seen a fundamental shift from analogue to digital media systems. This paper will discuss some major aesthetic approaches and theoretical perspectives that have been developed as a means of explaining what is distinctive about digital media and its artistic and cultural applications (aka creative practices using... | |||
| MEDIA207 | Transmedia Storytelling | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores transmedia storytelling in a variety of contexts. Students will engage with narratives that are spread across multiple media platforms and develop a critical understanding of key concepts and frameworks. | |||
| MEDIA220 | Creative Media Production | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper will engage students with a client-based approach to media production. Students will be asked to produce creative projects adhering to strict criteria in a variety of media formats including film, animation, podcasts, audio-visual installations, and studio-based productions. | |||
| WRITE205 | Writing for the Screen | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores foundational concepts in writing for the screen and develops practical skills in the application of these concepts during workshop sessions. The paper is organised around four main topic areas: world-making, characters, structures, and scenes/sequences. Students will produce a portfolio of writing, including pro... | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA300 | Contemporary Television | 15.0 | 23H (Online) |
| Contemporary television has drastically changed how we tell stories. Over the past two decades, the shift in long-form televisual narrative has resulted in an abundance of high-quality TV dramas that challenge cinematic storytelling. This paper reflects on these changes and asks students to evaluate the success of high-end producer... | |||
| MEDIA301 | Animation | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| While providing a broad critical and historical context of animation and animated films, this paper introduces students to key principles, techniques, cultural expressions, aesthetic approaches and applications for animation. Students are encouraged to explore conceptual approaches, and apply these to innovative creative projects o... | |||
| MEDIA302 | Film Production 3: From Concept to Screen | 15.0 | 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Do you want to create a festival-ready short film? Develop your creative practice in filmmaking and challenge yourself with a hands-on practical paper that builds on the skills acquired in MEDIA102 and MEDIA202. Students hone their craft in several areas, including: cinematography, sound design, scriptwriting and directing to produ... | |||
| MEDIA304 | Documentary | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Students explore documentary theory and practice by examining a range of forms associated with documentary culture, including documentary photography, feature film documentary, 'mockumentary', reality gameshows, and animated documentary. | |||
| MEDIA305 | Interactive Media Design | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Create your own interactive projects that expand your creative practice. Students will engage with contemporary arts practices to devise audio-visual installations, evaluate the rise of interactivity in gaming and VR, and create projects that blend different media formats. | |||
| MEDIA309 | Game, Play and Society | 15.0 | 23G (Online) |
| This paper examines interactive digital gaming as a technological, aesthetic and social phenomenon that constitutes a distinct form of expression and discrete category of cultural activity. Students will understand the affordances of games and explore key principles of game design. | |||
| MEDIA310 | Human Interest Storytelling | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper will explore creative non-fiction audio-visual storytelling in a variety of contexts. Students will produce a portfolio of practical outputs within a human interest framework that focuses on specific social, cultural, and political issues. | |||
| MEDIA320 | Creative Media Project | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides an opportunity for students to develop and carry out a small scale creative media project with relative independence. Students will work with a supervisor to develop original creative content as a multi-platform experience. | |||
| MEDIA330 | Podcasting | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Podcasting has become an increasingly popular way of telling stories, exploring issues and educating. This paper will explore this relatively new format introducing its emerging codes and conventions and developing scripts and production skills for producing podcasts. | |||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA501 | Critical and Creative Approaches to Research | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper identifies the constraints and freedoms of research methods, and places a strong emphasis on research as an intellectual, theoretical, and processual activity as well as the roles of interdisciplinary projects in creating unique methodological and conceptual media research. | |||
| MEDIA504 | Media Design and Aesthetics | 30.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Audio-visual media are undergoing continual transformations that question the roles of makers and audiences alike. Students are encouraged to experiment with sensory perception in order to question current notions of aesthetics in relation to cultural practices and media creations. This process of reflection encourages critical per... | |||
| MEDIA507 | Theory and Research in Action | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23B (Hamilton) |
| Have you got a topic you are passionate about to research? This supervised paper provides students the opportunity to engage with primary texts in preparation for writing their dissertation. You will explore research design frameworks which will support the completion of a robust dissertation. | |||
| MEDIA508 | Creative Practice Research | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23B (Hamilton) |
| Are you a creative practitioner that wants to experiment with practice-led research? This supervised paper offers a site for experimentation and development of a practical project to be included in a final dissertation. | |||
| MEDIA591 | Dissertation | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton), 23B (Hamilton) & 23D (Hamilton) |
| Provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx 10,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led investigation in the fi... | |||
| MEDIA592 | Dissertation | 60.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| Provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx 15,000 - 20,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led investigation ... | |||
| MEDIA593 | Screen and Media Studies Thesis | 90.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| Provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx. 30,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led investigation in the f... | |||
| MEDIA594 | Screen and Media Studies Thesis | 120.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx 40,000 - 50,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led inv... | |||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA800 | Screen and Media Studies MPhil Thesis | 120.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA900 | Screen and Media Studies PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 23I (Hamilton), 23J (Hamilton), 23K (Hamilton) & 23X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
| MEDIA901 | Screen and Media Studies Creative Practice PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 23I (Hamilton), 23J (Hamilton), 23K (Hamilton) & 23X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
Expand to read Subject Requirements
Candidates for the MMCT in Screen and Media Studies should normally have completed an undergraduate degree with a major in a relevant discipline and have achieved at least a B average or better.
Please note: Students applying for the MMCT will be encouraged to submit a portfolio comprised of examples of written or practical work (film, animation, VR etc). Candidates are expected to have some experience with any software packages they wish to use for their projects.
Students can choose the following options to complete their MMCT in 1 calendar year, or 1.5 calendar years.
Option 1: Creative Practice-Based MMCT - Students must complete 180 points at 500 level including MEDIA501 (30 pts), MEDIA508 (30 pts) and a 120 point thesis, MEDIA594.
Option 2: Traditional Research-Based MMCT - Students must complete 180 points at 500 level including MEDIA501 (30 pts), MEDIA507 (30 pts) and a 120 point thesis MEDIA594.
Option 3: School of Arts/Design MMCT - Students must complete 180 points at 500 level including MEDIA501 (30 pts), 60 points from MEDIA504, MEDIA507, MEDIA508, MEDIA590 (all 30 pts) or any other 30 point 500 Level paper offered by the University, and MEDIA593.
Contacts
School of Arts
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4543
General and Undergraduate Email Enquiries: [email protected]
Graduate and Postgraduate Email Enquiries: [email protected]